The Paradox of Progress: India's Growing Inactivity Amid Economic Growth
?Last week, an intriguing news report spread widely across Indian media, revealing that "more than 50% of Indian working adults are inactive according to WHO standards." A study published in The Lancet Global Health journal indicated that nearly half of Indian adults engaged in insufficient levels of physical activity in 2022. The study found that a significantly higher percentage of women in India (57%) were insufficiently active compared to men (42%), mirroring trends across the South Asian region.
India, with a population of 1.44 billion, is the world's most populous country and the seventh largest by area, spanning 3.288 million square kilometers. It boasts a long coastline of over 7,500 kilometers and incredible diversity, with more than 22 major languages and 415 dialects spoken. Geographically, it ranges from the Himalayas in the north to the Thar desert in the west, the Gangetic delta in the east, and the Deccan Plateau in the south. This diversity extends to its agriculture, as India is the world's largest producer of milk, pulses, and jute, and the second-largest producer of rice, wheat, sugarcane, groundnuts, vegetables, fruit, and cotton. Additionally, it is a leading producer of spices, fish, poultry, livestock, and plantation crops. With a $3 trillion economy, India ranks as the world's fifth largest, following the US, China, Japan, and Germany.
Given such diverse geography and a significant portion of the population engaged in agriculture, it is surprising to learn that 50% of Indian adults are insufficiently physically active. These findings challenge the common perception among Indians that lifestyle issues are confined to urban areas, especially metropolitan cities, and not present in rural or semi-urban regions.
As the saying goes, data doesn't lie. With the growing economy, there is a noticeable shift in employment among Indian adults, with many moving away from agriculture to the service sector, which is predominantly source of employment in urban or semi-rural areas.
Urban India's Health Crisis: Shocking Health Stats
According to the latest data from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), India is facing a significant burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The national prevalence rates are as follows:
These figures highlight the extensive health risks posed by physical inactivity and other lifestyle factors across India .On average, an Indian spends around ?4,000 to ?7,000 annually on health cover and expenses, especially those aged 30-50. With an average household income of ?1,50,000 per year, approximately 10-15% is spent on health-related expenses, underscoring the need for urgent public health interventions.
Challenges to Physical Activity in India
Cultural attitudes in India significantly hinder physical activity. There is a predominant focus on academics over sports from a young age, leading to sedentary lifestyles that persist into adulthood. Changing these deeply ingrained habits necessitates a major shift in lifestyle and mindset.
Infrastructure Shortfalls: Unplanned urban expansion and a lack of green spaces compel residents to rely on costly and often inadequately equipped fitness clubs.
Accessibility Issues: Traffic congestion in metro areas makes it difficult for working individuals to regularly access fitness facilities.
Gender Disparity: Women, in particular, struggle to find time for exercise due to the need to balance work, travel, and household responsibilities.
Technological advancements have further exacerbated sedentary behaviors. Many households possess electronic appliances like mixers, grinders, washing machines, and vacuum cleaners. Additionally, the availability of affordable manual labor for household chores reduces physical exertion. This dependence on technology and support systems increases physical inactivity, elevating the risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
The Paradox of Inactivity and Economic Growth
Inactivity is inadvertently boosting economic growth by driving the rise of numerous e-commerce and mobile applications designed to help individuals manage their work-life balance. While these technologies aim to improve convenience and efficiency, they are contributing to an increase in lifestyle disorders. India's substantial shift towards digital services and products, supported by an active internet subscriber base of over 846.57 million, has positioned the country for the next phase of technological evolution.
A few years ago, an average Indian in semi-urban to metropolitan areas engaged in various physical activities as part of their daily routine. These activities included waking up early to buy milk and vegetables, grocery shopping on Sundays, walking to the nearest bus stop, visiting local salons, pharmacies, and bakeries, and running to the nearest kirana store for daily supplies. On special occasions, they would walk to local eateries or markets for clothes shopping, especially during major festivals like Deepavali and Dasara. Additionally, at least once a month, they would undertake deep cleaning of their homes. Children would walk or use public buses to school, visit the nearest playground for recreation, attend evening tuition classes, and participate in music lessons, often walking to their teachers' homes.
However, COVID-19 drastically altered these habits with the rise of quick commerce, Edtech, Healthtech, and other online services such as Ola, Uber, Swiggy, Swiggy Instamart, Blinkit, Urban Company, Amazon, Nykaa, Tata 1mg, Unacademy, and Byjus. The deep dependency on these apps has become an integral part of daily life, contributing to reduced physical activity.
The economic influence of these applications is significant, propelling numerous startups to unicorn status. By May 2024, India stands as the world's third-largest unicorn hub, boasting a collective valuation of $349.67 billion. This increasing dependence on technology platforms is advancing the economy through a surge in unicorns, notably in the social commerce sector, despite its impact on physical activity and health concerns, while also driving substantial job growth.
A Holistic Approach to Physical Activity
What defines physical activity? Is it confined to gym workouts, walking, cycling, or swimming? Or should it encompass daily tasks like cooking, cleaning, laundry, dishwashing, monthly deep cleaning, gardening, regular grocery shopping, and opting for stairs instead of elevators? Integrating these activities with regular exercise could potentially reduce reliance on expensive gym memberships and mitigate non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
The Way Forward
Instead of succumbing to lifestyle diseases and spending lakhs on hospitals and medicine, it is wiser to address these issues proactively. A solution involves personal lifestyle changes coupled with government initiatives for better urban planning, upgrading smaller cities and towns with sports facilities, encouraging sports participation in schools, and creating a home environment where everyone contributes to household chores. This can free up time for women to engage in health-improving activities.
Tackling physical inactivity in India demands a multifaceted strategy integrating changes in lifestyle, cultural norms, and improvements in infrastructure. Only through these combined efforts can we reverse current trends and pave the way for a healthier future for all Indians.
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